After a lengthy delay, Dontnod fans can finally check outLost Records: Bloom & Rage, a new narrative adventure from the original Life is Strange developer’s Montreal division. It’s had some disappointing releases, likeTell Me WhyandTwin Mirror, so many have hoped that the developer can return to its roots with a prolific narrative experience, especially after the tepid reception ofLife is Strange: Double Exposurefrom Square Enix and Deck Nine. Does this new game deliver?
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A Game of Perfect Timing
There are moments when certain themes and messages from games hit you at just the right time, andLost Records: Bloom & Ragehit me like a freight train. I’ve recently had to move from Canada to England, leaving my friends behind and reconnecting with high school friends of my childhood in my homeland. When you move countries, you fear being alone, without friends to come back to. While this depicts teenage girls instead of an adult man, it struck a chord with me to find others in my community (which I recently did at a gaming event) and keep in contact, even though I’m shy. Reconnecting with old friends from high school almost twenty years ago is also a peculiar feeling, andLost Records: Bloom & Rageperfectly replicates that awkward vibe of being friends but also strangers at the same time as it’s been such a long time.
InLost Records: Bloom & Rage, you’ll meet four different characters, who each have their own unique personalities and somehow mesh into a relatable friend group you wish you had growing up (or reminds you of it). Like Max and Chloe inLife is Strange, you want to get to know each of these characters' histories, likes, dislikes, etc. They’re well-rounded and the game keeps track of how the main character Swann’s relationships are like with the other three members of the group. It’s captivating and you’ll get invested.
It’s a good thing these characters are likeable, however, because the main storyline is fairly slow. There’s an overall mystery that plays out during the current timeline that has the main characters reuniting after almost three decades in a bar. One of them, Autumn, receives a seemingly nefarious box that has the group’s name on it, Bloom & Rage, and you feel an air of tension as they begin to remember what happened to them in this small town all those years ago in their teenage years. As we get to know these characters, the conflict rarely shows its face during the six hours of gameplay, but ramps up during the fifth hour as we begin to figure out why the friend group separated and promised each other they’d never reunite. The slow burn may put off players, but the overall storyline and evolution of the four characters during gameplay remains interesting.
Narrative Gameplay Takes a Few Steps Forward
The narrative gameplay experience ofLost Records: Bloom & Rageshows the genre is still growing to this day. In most narrative games, you’re given dialogue options right off the bat and your choice interrupts what the other character is saying. In this case, however,Lost Recordsrewards you for being patient and gives additional choices based on the context of the conversation. It’s such a simple idea, but talking to other characters in the game feels more natural as some options fade away and new ones appear. It also reinforces the concept of actively listening to the subject rather than rushing to the next bit of dialogue. You really have to pay attention.
As a socially awkward person myself, I found Swann relatable, and it’s reflected in the gameplay. Sometimes, the dialogue options presented to you can lead into awkward gaffs or silence. This worsens the relationship between Swann and her friends, and you’ll see the final result at the end of the first part and likely the second part as well. This applies to both timelines, past and present.
Another way that the developer Dontnod keep players invested in the game is through Swann’s camera. As a kid, she’s a budding director, filming everything she sees from bugs to graffiti. There are even fifteen different birds to find throughout the game. When you’ve found all the subjects of a mini-documentary, you’ll have an edited video of all the footage you’ve recorded. The game adds a neat VHS effect to each video, taking us back in time to a more quaint age without smartphones in our pockets. I took out the camera everywhere, taking videos of our friends and wildlife along the way. Completionists are going to have a field day withLost Records: Bloom & Rage, in a similar fashion toLife is Strange: Double Exposure, especially with its collectible mode (that lets you explore levels without altering your save data).
For those wanting to figure out puzzles in this narrative game, unfortunately, there isn’t a lot to experience so far. They’re fairly basic and don’t require a lot of brains to solve. It’s a shame, but at least it doesn’t get in the way of the story and break up the pacing.
The Performance Isn’t Fantastic
Unfortunately,Lost Records: Bloom & Ragemay take you out of the experience with some bugs. One of the characters, Kat, can be seen sliding across the floor in an unnatural manner as she bends down to see items on the ground. Additionally, there are frame rate drops that tamper with the experience and some items flicker in the distance. Whenever the game zips to the modern timeline, the texture of Autumn’s clothes pop, creating a distracting opening to each of these segments before they finally load in. Additionally, when the camera is up, sometimes the subject you want to feature in the videos overlaid with each other, causing frustration. These bugs aren’t game-breaking, but they can defeat the narrative illusion.
Unfortunately,Lost Records: Bloom & Ragemay take you out of the experience with some bugs.
Thankfully, the performances from the main cast of the game are stellar. Each conversation sounds natural and the portrayal of these characters makes them relatable and worthy of our time. Sometimes, the fashion in which the actors say their lines can cut to your soul, in a good way. The graphics are also stellar. Despite the occasional frame rate hiccup, the lighting truly shines, and the facial capture is incredible. As you look at these characters in such close detail, especially Autumn in the modern-day segments, you truly get wrapped up in each conversation and how they react to your dialogue choices.
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The environments are also gorgeous as you venture through the forest, gaze at a glorious lake, and glance at the unique water tower with antlers, at each time of day. It does kinda make me miss the Pacific Northwest I left behind in 2024.
Closing Comments:
Without spoiling any of the story elements,Lost Records: Bloom & Rageis captivating so far with the first act. The characters are well-written, the narrative, albeit slow, is gripping, and the game is gorgeous to look at as you take videos of the wildlife and characters around you. It’ll be exciting to see where the narrative goes when the second part releases this April. Let’s just hope those frame rate hiccups and performance issues get fixed by then.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Rewind back to the 90s and live the defining summer of four high school girls as they forge bonds through their growing friendship, their punk band, and an unexplained event that will forever change their lives.A 27-YEAR PROMISENavigate between dual timelines and shape both narratives – in 1995 and 2022 – with each offering a piece of the larger puzzle: the life-changing secrets they uncovered back then and why they’re reuniting now, after all these years. Together, in this place, they’re forced to try and remember clearly the fateful memories that have eluded them for the past 27 years.CAPTURE & CONNECTConnect with your newfound sisterhood through lifelike interactions and conversations that feel real: engage in immersive dialogue that changes based on where you look and what you say; where you can do things like interrupt and ignore. Grab your camcorder and explore, filming Velvet Cove and capturing the essence of its people, places, and lush nature. Film just for the fun of it or try to find the dark secrets tucked away.GIRLS TO THE FRONTPlay as Swann and get to know your new friends, each with their own lives and battles. Come out of your shell and embrace rebellion over the summer as you form friendships with Nora, Autumn, and Kat. Through your actions and words, you’ll shape your relationships with each of them on your journey to self-discovery. Will your bond wither over the years or will it feel like you were barely separated at all?A NOSTALGIC DREAMSCAPEIn a picturesque corner of Michigan in 1995 lies the seemingly sleepy little town of Velvet Cove. Between dense woodlands and serene lakes, it’s a place where beauty meets the bizarre. Cloaked in a carefully crafted dreampop soundtrack that blends nostalgia and ethereal vibes, you’ll definitely find it all nice and relaxing…
